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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lean — to bend
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cell — in biology
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com